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Activity 2

Test for Oxygen

Oxygen can be distinguished from all other gases except dinitrogen oxide, N2O by its rekindling of a glowing splint of wood.

It is however distinguished from N2O by the following observations:

(1). Oxygen does not have smell, while N2O has a sweet, sickly smell.

(2). Oxygen produces brown fumes of nitrogendioxide, NO2 with nitrogen monoxide,

2NO(g) + O2(g) → 2NO2(g) (brown fumes),

while N2O does not.